1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a satellite receiver antenna, and in particular, to a low noise block down converter adapter with built-in multi-switch for a satellite dish antenna.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a multiple-satellite application, such as satellite broadcast television, an integrated receiver-decoder (IRD) must work through a multi-switch (Multi-SW) to reach a given low noise block down converter with feed (LNBF). The present state of art is to use a discrete multi-switch mounted either at the back of the antenna, at the point of entry to the home, or inside the home. However, many cables must be used to connect the LNBFs to the multi-switch, resulting in errors of connection, longer installation time, and higher costs.
In addition to using the discrete multi-switch described above, there have been attempts by the industry to try to implement the multi-switch function into the LNBFs. The disadvantages of doing this is that the cost of production of an integrated LNBF/multi-switch is much more than the discrete parts. Moreover, the cost of repair is also much higher, since if one LNBF is bad, the entire assembly must be replaced.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an improved multi-switch for use with LNBFs in satellite antenna applications.
The present invention describes an improved low noise block down converter adapter for a satellite dish antenna. The adapter includes a Y-shaped housing that is mated to one end of a support bracket, as well as a plurality of low noise block down converters with feed (LNBFs). The adapter incorporates a plurality of ports for connecting to the LNBFs, a plurality of outputs to a plurality of integrated receiver-decoders (IRDs), and a multi-switch for selecting among the connectors to connect a selected one of the plurality of LNBFs to a selected one of the outputs.